Welcome to the Afterlife!
by Goose-chan
Summary: What happens when the characters of Harry Potter die? They go to the Afterlife, of course! With equal amounts of depressed people and Marauder hilarity, there's sure to be OOC-ness. And epic spoilers if you haven't read all the books. Yay
1. Lily & James

**Short chapters about what the deceased of Harry Potter do after they die. I own nothing you recognize.**

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**Lily & James**

It was a peaceful day in the afterlife. The floor of clouds drifted lazily around, and the sky was a clear blue. It was Halloween, and they were expecting some new residents to their land of the deceased.

A faint screaming sound could be heard, and it sounded as if it was coming from far away, yet it wasn't coming from left or right, but up. The yelling gradually grew louder, and several moments later, a man with messy black hair and glasses landed with a _thump _on the ground. For clouds, they were surprisingly firm.

James Potter stood up and looked to his right. Clouds. Left, clouds. Forward, backward, more clouds. He looked up... even more clouds, though not enough to stand on. How was he standing on clouds, anyway? Then he remembered: _Duh, I'm dead!_

He knew it was only a matter of time before his wife, Lily, and his son, Harry, came too. Dang Voldemort, being all... Voldemort-y. And how in the name of Merlin did the guy lose his nose? And how old was he, now? All James knew was that Voldemort was old. Fifty-ish, he thought. Wait, who cares how old Voldemort is?

He then heard screaming coming from directly above him, and as it grew louder, he knew that it was his wife. Five seconds later, Lily Potter landed with another _thump_, not on the cloudy ground, but on her husband.

Lily looked around, taking in her surroundings, before noticing that she was sitting on top of James. Muttering a hasty apology, she stood up and helped him to his feet.

"James!" she cried out, hugging the man (who, if he hadn't been dead already, would certainly be suffocating now). "I... you... Harry! Where's Harry?!" James shrugged, for he didn't know the location of their one-year-old son, either. They waited several minutes. Another fifteen minutes. Surely, Voldemort would have killed Harry by now? Another half-an-hour later, Lily and James slowly looked at each other.

"James..."

"Does this mean..."

"Harry lived?"

It took several moments for this idea to sink in. There was no other solution, their son had to have survived, otherwise he would be there with them. They were both quiet...

"HECK YEAH, MY SON IS A SURVIVER!" James, who still let his child side of him take over from time to time, leaped up into the air and started dancing. Not just flapping his arms a little bit, but the full Chicken Dance. He only stopped when Lily smacked him on the head.

"James, SHUT UP!" Lily was too tired to have to deal with her husband's antics, and she was overjoyed that her baby had survived. Unfortunately, this did not stop James, who was now doing a freaky mix between the Hokey-Pokey and the Robot.

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**I'll be skipping Quirrell and the Basilisk because neither Lily or James knew Quirrell (I don't think) and he wouldn't have much to tell them about Harry (and you can't really do anything with a Basilisk), so next is Cedric. R&R, please!**


	2. Cedric & Frank Bryce

**Thanks to emogirl1790, HoneyBearChibiPandaSmexBree, and Your Left Hand for reviewing~ (how odd is it that the only people who reviewed are people I'm friends with?) Anyway, I own nothing you recognize. **

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**Cedric and Frank Bryce**

Lily and James Potter were, in a word, bored. It had been thirteen years since they had died, and they knew nothing about the fate of their son or anything about Sirius Black or Remus Lupin. Knowing Sirius, he probably did something stupid like go after Peter Pettigrew, attempt to kill him, and get sent to Azkaban for life. In fact, the couple had a bet about that.

And then James heard it.

The familiar screaming that he had heard when Lily had joined him in the afterlife, except this voice was masculine, sounding as if it belonged to a boy, maybe a student. Before they knew it, a person who fit that exact description fell to the ground of clouds in front of them.

Groaning, the boy stood up and looked around. He saw Lily and James, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Harry? And you're Ginny Weasley, right? Where are we?" he asked, looking very uncertain about his current situation. "And when did Ginny get here? Harry, what happened? We were in the graveyard, and the Triwizard Cup was a Portkey, and then that voice spoke... _'kill the spare', _I think it said.... and then there was a flash of green light... how did we get here?"

Lily and James winced. It seemed that the boy was completely unaware that he was dead, and from what he had just told him, it was obvious that he had been killed. Did he mean their Harry? And Triwizard Cup? As in Triwizard Tournament? Why was Harry in the Triwizard Tournament? Why did the Cup take him to a graveyard? There were so many questions, and neither could come up with a sensible answer.

James hesitated for a moment, before speaking. "Uh... listen, kid... we're not Harry, or Ginny, whoever that is. We're Lily and James Potter-" the boy gasped. "-and you're dead." It pained him to be so blunt, but James couldn't help it. It would be best to get it over with quickly.

However, instead of breaking down like expected (the yellow and black robes showed that the boy was a Hufflepuff, and they are known for their weakness), the boy merely blinked several times before shrugging his shoulders. Lily and James looked at him in confusion.

"Why aren't you totally miserable? I mean, you're dead," James asked uncertainly. The boy (James realized that they still didn't know his name) looked at him for a moment.

"I'm happy," he said simply. At the couple's look of confusion, he continued. "I just won the Triwizard Tournament. Well, actually, me and Harry tied, but that's better than nothing, right? I did something that the Hufflepuff House can be proud of."

Lily and James shared a knowing look. One of Lily's friends, Alice, had always been complaining about how Hufflepuff was looked down upon, even though she was a Gryffindor. Gryffindor had bravery, Ravenclaw had brains, Slytherin had pureblood-ness, and Hufflepuff got the rest.

"Anyway," the boy said, getting their attention once more, "I'm Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff, seventh year. Or at least, I was."

"Well, er, Cedric," Lily said hesitantly, "you seem quite calm, seeing as you were just murdered." Cedric shrugged again, so Lily asked something else. "Can you tell us about Harry?"

Cedric frowned. "I don't know much about him, sorry." He kindly left out that Harry was the youngest Seeker in a century and the only person ever to survive the killing curse. He figured that wasn't the kind of thing to hear from a stranger.

Suddenly, and old man came tottering up to them. "Did you say wizard? I was killed by one, I was. Never knew there was such thing as magic until I found that snakelike one in the old Riddle home. Him and some man, Wormtail, I think his name was. Odd name, don't you think? And he seemed like an idiot, as well. I'm Frank Bryce, by the way. I got sent to the non-magic folk part of the afterlife, but everyone thought I was a nut there."

James and Frank enjoyed their new hobby of Wormtail-Bashing.

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**I'm done another chapter! Anyway... even though this chapter is longer, I liked the first one better. Chapter one had a lighter mood, you know? Next is Sirius... *sob*... R&R!**


	3. Sirius

**Y'know, it would be nice if someone besides my friends would review... not that I don't love you guys (Bree, Emo-chan, and Sugar Crumpet/Lefty), but for all I know, this story could suck, and I wouldn't know because nobody reviews... please enjoy the chapter while I waste away worrying about my skills (or lack of skills) as an author. I own nothing.**

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**Sirius**

He didn't expect it. Sirius Black did not expect to die that day in the Department of Mysteries, fighting his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. He had only expected to rush in, save his godson, then return sullenly to Grimmauld Place. The others had warned him. Remus, Dumbledore, Made-Eye Moody... they had all warned him, told him to stay behind, but no, he had to be a complete moron and charge ahead before thinking, and he got what he deserved.

The voices behind the veil tried to pull him back, to drag him to his death, but he fought. Remus, Harry... they needed him, they both needed him... he had been Remus' last friend, they were the only two remaining Marauders. And Harry... his godson, the shining sun in his dark, pitiful life... Harry, who lost his parents, Harry, who couldn't remember Lily or James, or that first happy year when they all thought everything would be okay... Sirius had been a father figure, the caring guardian Harry had never had... now everything was being ripped apart because of his own stupidity.

He couldn't fight anymore, he couldn't resist... the haunting voices were like a lullaby, and he felt their strangely warm arms, like vapor, wrap around his body, and then... it all slowly went black, and he felt himself begin to drift off into nothingness... not even the thought of Harry and Remus gave him enough energy to fight back. That was when he thought of James and Lily... yes, he could see James and Lily again, it would be just like old times, laughing, without a care in the world... and he gladly walked into Death's open arms.

He opened his eyes, and for several moments, he didn't know where he was. Standing up and looking around, he saw clouds of pure white, the sun shining merrily, and a delicate warmth that he had never felt before... he couldn't have been awake for more than a minute when a dark streak of messy black hair tackled him to the ground, laughing in a way that was so joyously familiar.

"Padfoot!" the voice cried out, and Sirius could feel his heart begin to beat unnaturally fast, and it was as if his body had frozen. Looking at the delighted face that was gazing so happily at him, dull gray met sparkling hazel, and Sirius felt his memories rushing back to him... becoming Animagi, going to the Whomping Willow with Remus to transform... and suddenly, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Who cared if he was dead? He was with James again, his best friend, and he could do whatever he wanted. He didn't have to sneak around, or stay cooped up in Grimmauld Place, haunting the dark hallways of his childhood home.

Lily came rushing up to them and pulled Sirius into a tearful hug, and he looked into her stunning, emerald green eyes that he had seen on Harry only minutes before. Harry... Lily and James were going to want to hear all about their son. Could he bring himself to tell them that he, Harry's godfather, had not been Harry's guardian, and that the boy had grown up with his aunt and uncle instead?

Shaking off the thought, he stood up shakily and looked at the smiling faces of two of his best friends. They both looked so happy to see him, and finally, he smiled himself.

"So, Paddy," James said conversationally, "How'd you die?"

Sirius puffed out his chest proudly. "I was fighting my dear cousin Bella in the Department of Mysteries. I fell through the Veil of Death." He waited for an awed reaction, but got none. Instead, the other two glanced at each other before losing it and laughing out loud.

"Y-you got killed... by a curtain!" James choked between laughs. Sirius spluttered indignantly for several moments, but what could he say? It was true, he had been killed by a curtain. Not that he was going to give up. No, he still had his Marauder's Pride. Yep, that's Pride, with a capital P.

"It was a _Veil_, thank you very much. There's a significant difference."

"Which would be?"

"Veils are... flow-y-er."

"Flow-y-er isn't a word, Sirius."

For the rest of the day, Lily patiently (not really) watched James and Sirius argue about the cause of Sirius' demise, silently wondered what happened to Harry, and, most importantly, wondered how to make those two shut up.

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**Ah, should I be happy with this chapter? I liked how it all started out, but I wanted to put the whole 'you got killed by a curtain' part in so badly... meh. If you haven't noticed, I changed the genre(s) to Humor/Friendship. And Emo-chan, you just keep believing that. I'm sure Sirius is safe and sound in the depths of your mind, hula dancing and munching on blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream... R&R! Next is Dumbledore!**


	4. Dumbledore

**Wow... turns out ranting gets people to review. Either that, or they hadn't found this story until after I posted chapter three... meh, whatever. I own nothing... and Dwarfy has been complaining about the intro/disclaimer thingy. She likes the ones for Shugo Chara! better... because she's in them. Not that any of you know who I'm talking about...**

**~*~*~*~**

**Dumbledore**

Lily, James, Sirius, Cedric and Frank sat on the puffy clouds of the afterlife, playing Go Fish and waiting. Simply waiting. The head afterlife guy/girl/thing (they were under the impression that he/she/it was a banana) had told them to expect someone important. _Very _important.

Just as Sirius was about to lose for the 27th time that day, a shadow was cast over them. Looking up, they were shocked to see an old man, not falling, but gently floating down as he held firmly onto a frilly pink umbrella with pink ribbons on it. Lily (being Muggle-born) and Frank (being a Muggle) were both strongly reminded of Mary Poppins, and were in total shock as the old man's feet gently touched the ground.

"Why hello James, Lily, Cedric, Sirius. It's good to see you all again. I must say, I'm impressed. Harry has been doing a lot less illegal things right under my nose. Now he's doing illegal things with my help. But please, don't tell Cornelius," Albus Dumbledore said rather calmly, as if they were discussing the weather.

Lily spluttered for several moments before screeching (rather deafeningly), "_Illegal?!"_

Sirius nodded. "Yep, I seem to recall in his 5th year he set up an illegal defense group, right under the Ministry's nose... actually, I remember helping him with that... and the Triwizard Tournament, as well..."

Lily and James stared in shock, while Frank looked relatively confused. Cedric, Sirius and Dumbledore, however, looked completely calm, and were treating these things like everyday occurrences (which, for them, they were).

"Would someone _please _tell me what exactly my son is doing that's illegal?!" Lily demanded furiously.

"Oh, where to begin?" Dumbledore said wonderingly. "I suppose we should start at the beginning, when Harry totally ignored the rules, went to the forbidden third floor corridor, ran past a three-headed dog, caught a flying key, got past a giant murderous chess set, figured out which potion wouldn't kill him, and managed to face Lord Voldemort and live. Again. Though I suppose it wouldn't be fair not to credit Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger... they did, after all, help with a good part of it..."

Lily and James had no idea what to say to this. However, they couldn't say anything, because Dumbledore continued.

"And in his second year... let's see... drove a flying car to school, crashed into the Whomping Willow, found a diary that was a portal to the past... memories, that is... sneaked into the Forbidden Forest and was almost eaten by a giant spider... and discovered the Chamber of Secrets in a girls bathroom, went down there, killed a Basilisk, saved a girl, and destroyed part of Tom Riddle's soul. Or you could call him Voldemort, I believe that's what he goes by now."

For the next hour, Lily and James listened to Sirius, Dumbledore and Cedric tell about Harry and his school life. They told about his third year with Sirius and almost getting eaten by Remus, his fourth year with the Triwizard Tournament, his fifth year with the D.A., and his sixth year with the Horcruxes.

James and Lily gawked for several moments, before a question previously asked resurfaced in their minds: What happened before Harry went to Hogwarts?

As if reading their minds, Dumbledore answered quietly, "Sirius went after Mr. Pettigrew. Peter yelled out that Sirius was guilty before blowing up the street. That was why Sirius was sent to Azkaban before he escaped twelve years later. Harry lived with his aunt, uncle and cousin, Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley Dursley."

Lily held out her hand as James scowled and put a handful of coins in her hand. **(A/N: They had a bet that was mentioned at the beginning of chapter 2.) **

Suddenly, Sirius blurted out what they had all been secretly wondering, "How did you die?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at the others. "Severus Snape killed me," he said simply.

There was an instant uproar from Lily, James and Sirius.

"What?! Sev did that?!"

"_I'll kill the greasy--"_

"And you convinced us he was a good person! And he killed you!" Sirius said triumphantly.

Instead of explaining why he was killed by Severus Snape, Dumbledore chose to say, "At least I wasn't killed by a curtain."

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**Okay, I am really not happy with this chapter. I feel Dumbledore is really OOC, and it just wasn't very good. It would probably be better if there wasn't a little voice in the back of my head constantly saying, "_Go re-watch Mermaid Melody..." _Honestly. Plus certain people being emo adds to the stress, and standardized tests... Meh. R&R! Next is Hedwig! **


	5. Hedwig and MadEye Moody

**Hey, before I get started, I'd like to reply to an anonymous review: **

**Lunuloo: Thanks a lot for telling me how you felt about my story! I'll try to make it more convincing, but here's a little bit of my opinion: I get the feeling Lily and James were upset that they had died, but they were more happy that Harry survived, so that's why they weren't very depressed. I know I could have done a lot better with Cedric, but as J.K. mentioned in Goblet of Fire: Cedric could make the Hufflepuff House proud, and he had just won the Triwizard Tournament, so that makes him a tiny bit happier. Frank Bryce lived a long life, and Dumbledore is, well, Dumbledore. Wasn't he the one who said, "Death is only the next great adventure"? (I think that was him...) I really appreciate you giving me your opinion so honestly, and I promise I'll work harder!**

**Anyway, I don't own anything. I decided to combine Hedwig and Moody in the same chapter, since Hedwig is, well, an owl. I hope this chapter is better!**

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It was a peaceful night... the silence worried her, giving her the feeling that this was the calm before the storm. It was much too quiet, and she knew it was only a matter of moments before the first spells were cast. She knew that her master believed the Order, and that the Death Eaters knew nothing of the false lead relating to when they would depart from the Dursley home forever, but she couldn't help but feel wary, her animal instincts telling her something was about to go horribly wrong...

And she was right. Screams filled the air, spells flying back and forth between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters. And then she was falling, falling, with no way to save herself, because of the heavy metal cage surrounding her like a deathtrap. She could feel the end coming... she caught a glimpse of one of the Weasley twins getting hit by a bloody curse, she saw Mad-Eye Moody fall from the great height....

And then she was back, her master's hands wrapped desperately around her cage, and for a split-second, she believed everything would be okay... how wrong she was. The jet of green light cut through the air... and then it was over, all over, not for the Order, but for her. She had ended, and she felt herself fade away...

Hooting feebly, she squinted up into the bright sunlight, and became utterly confused about the situation. Hadn't she just been hit by the Avada Kadavra curse? So was this Heaven? Hell? Or was it simply non-existence? A familiar voice grabbed her attention, and she opened her eyes wider to find herself staring straight up into the face of none other than Albus Dumbledore.

"Hedwig? Is that you?" the old man asked, his eyebrows raised. Hooting again, Hedwig set herself back onto her feet and felt the soft, cushy clouds between her toes, and even though she knew she was dead, she had devastated her master, the glorious environment caused her to feel nothing but pure bliss.

Looking up from her short height, she noticed they weren't alone. She recognized Sirius Black and Cedric Diggory from when she was alive, but there were two people there she didn't know, but had the unnerving feeling that she had seen them before... and then she knew. She had seen them in her master's old photo album he had received from Rubeus Hagrid in his first year. They were Lily and James Potter.

Hooting more enthusiastically this time, Hedwig flapped her wings and fluttered happily onto James's shoulder. Looking at her curiously, James stroked her feathers gently, exactly the way his son used to. _Used to_. She'd have to get used to this whole death thing.

A sudden, gruff shout made them all jump. Hedwig gave a hoot of shock when she noticed Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody walking towards them, with both of his legs and considerably less scars. In fact, the only thing she recognized about him was his bright blue eye, swiveling about and observing them all.

Suddenly, the man pounded his fist into his palm and screamed, "_Idiot!"_

Dumbledore rushed over to the man and put an arm on his shoulder, causing him to jump half a foot in the air.

"Alastor. What could possibly be disturbing you this much?" Dumbledore asked quietly, as if not wanting to believe that one of the toughest Aurors in the Order was dead.

"I was hit! I was so stupid! A careless mistake! Now the only hope is Nymphadora-"

From somewhere beyond the boundary between life and death, they all heard someone screaming, "_Don't call me Nymphadora!"_

"-and the rest of the Order. I doubt they have enough skill to out-fly the Death Eaters, and the boy! Potter, he-"

"_Alastor," _Dumbledore said firmly, "It was not a careless mistake. It was a terrible thing that could happen to anyone."

"You mean anyone but Harry," Sirius piped in. Moody growled at him, and Sirius began to cower behind Lily.

Turning back to Moody, Dumbledore looked him straight in the eye. "Alastor. It was not your fault at all. If anyone's, it was mine."

Moody looked at Dumbledore, shocked. "Headmaster, how in the name of Merlin could it be your fault?" he asked incredulously.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't tell you yet. We must wait to find out that significant piece of information."

Shaking his head at the headmaster's secretiveness, Moody looked at Hedwig.

"The owl? I died with an owl?"

Of course, nobody dared to make fun of Moody for dying with an owl, so they continued to mock Sirius for his death by curtain.

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**Yes, I am going to try and fit in the curtain part in every chapter until you all get sick of it and start yelling at me. Moody was... a bit OOC, I think. But not as much as Dumbledore was. Yep. I don't think I improved much, but I believe it showed more emotion. Sort of. Please review! Next is... I really don't know. There were so many deaths in Deathly Hallows that I can't keep them in order. I think it may be Ted Tonks, though. But he's a Muggle...**


	6. Wormtail

**Thanks to H.L.K. Masters for correcting my tiny brain and reminding me that Ted Tonks is not a Muggle, but Muggle-born. Whoops... Anyway, since I really don't have much to go on about Ted, we'll skip over him... he'll show up when Tonks shows up or something. So here's Wormtail. Me and my tiny brain own nothing, even if I have been trying to bribe certain people to just get along for once. **

The moment the boy said those words, the moment the words had left his lips, he knew it was over.

"_You owe me."_

He hesitated, and that slight hesitation encouraged the metal hand around the boy's throat to let go and clench around his own, and he felt as if all of the pressure in the world was pressing down on his ribs... he felt his eyes roll back, the boy and his friend crying out things he couldn't understand, trying to stop the inevitable... and then it was over.

Glaring around at the happy atmosphere, so different from the dark, damp basement he had been in only moments before, he couldn't help but feel some familiarity with the whole situation. There was a presence near, one he hadn't felt in years, yet he had felt something so similar to it in that boy. Yes, this was a presence that he had felt when they had been the five of them: himself, James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily.

It was James. He was sure of it. His knees gave way and he fell to the ground. Though he hadn't seen his old friend yet, he knew (or thought he knew) how it would end. James and Lily... they would hate him. Hate him just like Sirius and Remus did, hate him because he was weak, hate him simply for being him...

"Peter."

The voice, the emotionless tone, it crushed him. He wanted to go back, back to the past, fix his mistakes and make everything right again. But no, he was dead, and there was nothing he could do. It was his fault, everything was his fault. If he hadn't told the Dark Lord where the Potters were, the boy wouldn't have suffered. Sirius wouldn't have gone to Azkaban. Everything was his fault, and he was sure that they were going to make him pay for it.

A hand grabbed the back of his robes and yanked him up.

"Hey, you can at least listen when we talk to you."

Peter turned around, stumbling slightly, and found himself looking into the eyes of an angry Sirius, a curious James, and a worried looking Lily. Wait, curious? Wasn't James totally outraged that he had caused so much chaos?

"W-what do you want from me?" Peter stuttered. "Are you h-here to tell me I deserved what I got? That I deserved to d-die?"

Sirius began to speak, but James motioned for him to be quiet.

"It's true. You did deserve what you got-" Sirius nodded enthusiastically, "-however, you killed yourself instead of Harry. To me, that earns your forgiveness."

Sirius stared at James in shock. "But he turned you, Lily and Harry over to Voldemort and framed me! I spent twelve years in Azkaban, a year on the run, and a year cooped up in _that place_! And you're forgiving him?!"

James sighed. "Sirius. I'm not saying we're welcoming him back into the Marauders with open arms, I'm saying that killing himself for the sake of my son earns my respect for him."

Sirius agreed (reluctantly) and Lily let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin," she said. "I was afraid I'd have to prevent you guys from re-killing each other. So how are you, Peter?"

Peter was shocked. Lily was acting as if nothing ever happened! Did she hit her head when she died or something?

"No, Peter, I did not hit my head. I just want things to be normal. You know, without the tense atmosphere and all?"

Crap. He forgot she could practically read minds.

"I can't read minds, Peter. You're just obvious."

...This was going to be a _long _eternity.

**Ack. Fail. I've had a minor case of writer's block, plus standardized tests (which are finally over! Yay!) So if you think this is too short... oh well. I really had no idea what to do after Peter died. Anyway, please vote on the poll on my profile! It'll affect how later chapters turn out! And please review, as well!**


	7. Dobby

**Hey. I'm back. Not really much to say, is there? Here's Dobby.**

James Potter drowsily rubbed his eyes and sighed. He had spent sixteen years in the Afterlife, and never, not once, had something like this happened.

There was a house-elf hugging his legs.

"Dobby is honored to meet you, mister James Potter, sir! Dobby has heard great things, sir, very great things! Of course, only a great wizard could be the father of Harry Potter! Yes, Harry Potter is a great wizard, and a kind wizard! Dobby died protecting Harry Potter, sir!"

James could hardly understand a word the elf was saying. He kept hearing "Harry Potter" over and over, but that was about it. If his son was a normal, not well-known child, then he would be ecstatic to meet someone who knew Harry, but seeing as the boy was famous world-wide (as James had recently discovered), he paid it little attention.

Lily, on the other hand, was fascinated with the little creature, talking to him and asking curious questions.

"So Dobby, you knew Harry? Personally? I've heard from a few of the residents who came here after James and me that he's very selfless."

"Oh yes, Lily Potter, ma'am!" Dobby squeaked excitedly. "Harry Potter is very selfless, indeed! It was Harry Potter that tricked Master Malfoy into giving Dobby his sock, ma'am! And Dobby was freed, and since then, Harry Potter and his friends have given Dobby many socks, and even hats and scarves and sweaters!"

Lily beamed proudly. "That's very nice, Dobby. I can see that Harry means a lot to you."

Dobby nodded, his bat-like ears flapping on his head. "Oh, yes, very much so! Harry Potter was at Malfoy Manor, because he was captured to be taken to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but Dobby was able to go to Malfoy Manor and save Harry Potter and his friends! It was as Dobby was taking Harry Potter away from the manor that Bellatrix Lestrange threw a knife and Dobby and Dobby was killed!"

Lily had turned considerably white at this explaination, but was saved when Dumbledore and Sirius walked over.

"Ah, Dobby. Good to see you again. I assume you are enjoying your stay?" Dumbledore asked, much like a hotel manager would ask a hotel's resident.

"It is very nice here, Professor Dumbledore, sir! The people are very kind. Dobby has never been treated better, except for Harry Potter and his friends!"

Dumbledore smiled at him while Sirius looked at him with an expression of mild curiosity.

"A house-elf, huh? I figured they were all disgusting little beasts like Kreacher, but I've been proved wrong," he said mildly.

Dobby looked up at Sirius in horror. "K-Kreacher? Bad Kreacher has been dirtying the house-elf legacy again! None of the house-elves like Kreacher, but Dobby is nice to Kreacher, because Kreacher is Harry Potter's house-elf."

"No need, Dobby. Kreacher doesn't deserve your kindness," Sirius snorted.

Before Dobby could speak, Dumbledore cut it. "If I may," he said, "I believe that Harry has been rather polite to Kreacher as of late, and it has rewarded him greatly. Kreacher now cleans the house properly, creates edible dishes, and is overall tolerable."

Sirius gawked at Dumbledore in horror. "K-Kreacher?! _Tolerable?! And polite?!_ I knew that elf for my whole unfortunate life and never was the filthy thing one or the other!"

Lily looked at Sirius with mock sadness. "I'm sorry, Sirius, but apparently, Harry is just naturally more likable that you."

Sirius clutched at his heart and fell to his knees, looking up at James with twinkling eyes. "You love me more than Harry, don't you, Prongs?"

James laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, Paddy, but family comes before friends. I love Harry more."

"But Jamsie!" Sirius cried, flinging himself at James's feet. "I'm practically your brother! I lived with you since we were sixteen! Don't you remember?!"

James laughed again, attempting to pry his best friend off of his leg (because Dobby was still clinging to the other one, and he'd rather have full control of both of his legs).

"But really, Sirius, you could learn a thing or two from Harry," Lily said with pretend gentleness.

Sirius looked at her questioningly. "About what?"

Lily grinned. "Not dying, of course."

James's eyes lit up. "She's right, Padfoot. Harry's had who knows how many near-death experiences and gotten out alive, and yet you get killed-"

As if they rehearsed, James and Lily chorused and the same time, "by a curtain."

**Ha, are you sick of the curtain joke yet? Anyway, there's still time to vote on my poll if you haven't already! Review, please!**


	8. Crabbe and Fred

**Hey, guys! I'm back. Again. Really, I need to think of something better to say during these things. Ha, I got the newest book in the Sisters Grimm series a few days ago, so I'm really happy! I own nothing.**

_Hot... it was so hot... the flames surrounded him, swallowing him up... he heard screams, cries of fear and anguish... He had set out to kill, but he had become the victim... he didn't deserve what he got. He was too good for that. He laughed to himself. To die, just when he became free? He had always been the dim-witted sidekick, and now that he had shown his true colors, he had gone and gotten himself killed by his own spell. _

Blinking wearily, he clambered to his feet and looked around lazily. This place seemed so cold compared to the blazing hellhole he had just been in... There were no dancing sparks, roaring flames, no creatures of fire wanting and waiting for the opportunity to consume him, to kill him, to roast him, because that had already happened. He was dead, and this was where he would spend the rest of eternity.

"Mr. Crabbe?"

A voice, one of an old man, interrupted his thoughts. He blinked and looked up into the face of his former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. So now he had to spend the rest of eternity with this crackpot, Muggle-loving old fool. Of course. He'd rather be back in the world of the living getting his Pure-blood backside burned off...

"_No, no, no! No, Fred, no!"_

The sight of his brothers, Harry, and Hermione slowly faded to black as he could feel himself leaving. He had never expected to go this soon, but he was happy. Happy that he had reconciled with Percy, and happy that he had been lucky enough to die laughing.

He wondered how George would bear without him. They were twins, of course, and they shared a special bond. It was a bond that they shared with nobody but each other. None of the others would be able to even imagine the pain that George would go through on the road to recovery after his death, that he knew. But George was strong; he'd manage. He hoped.

But it could have been worse. He was glad he hadn't been killed in front of Ginny or his mother. He wasn't sure if they would be able to handle it, seeing their brother and son killed right in front of their eyes. He couldn't even bring himself to think of it.

It was sunny. There were no spells flying, no shouts, screams, no explosions. It was quiet. He liked it that way. Sunny and quiet. It was a feeling he hadn't felt for a long time. It was a feeling telling him that he didn't have to worry about himself anymore, that he was safe here, and that he would never be hurt again, because he couldn't be hurt.

A voice not too far away startled him.

"Mr. Crabbe?"

Crabbe? He wasn't Crabbe, he was Fred. Unless...

Surely enough, after observing the area more carefully, he spotting Vincent Crabbe talking to the deceased Albus Dumbledore. It was safe to say that all of this was making him very dizzy.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley? You're here too? My, this is quite a battle we're having, isn't it?"

Fred blinked when he noticed that his old professors attention was now directed towards him.

"Er, yes sir, I suppose it is..." he mumbled uncertainly.

"Calm down, Fred, or Molly will kill me even more than I'm already dead for making you uncomfortable for the rest of eternity," Sirius said, coming up behind him and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"S-Sirius, you're here, too?"

Sirius frowned. "Okay, I know that I haven't been the nicest person, but not bad enough to-"

James stepped up to Fred's other side. "Padfoot, I think he means that he hasn't seen you in two years and now you show up out of nowhere and talk to him. Besides, we all get sent here. It doesn't make a difference."

"...Prongsie, I hate you so very much, you know that."

"I thought you hated Wormtail?"

"Him too."

Fred looked back and forth between the two bickering men. The one with the glasses was James Potter, right? So he was Harry's dad. And Prongs, too. He already knew that Sirius was Padfoot (they had figured it out when they figured out that Remus was Moony), but Mr. Potter, being Prongs? He had no idea.

_I can't wait to tell George, _he thought excitedly. It was then that the wave of realization hit him: He wouldn't be able to tell George anything. He wouldn't be able to see his brother for a very long time. Years, decades... he would be alone, without his brother, his other half.

"Something wrong, kid?" James asked, looking Fred in the eyes and poking his face. Fred snapped back to reality and looked at his idol. He really did look like an exact copy of Harry, or rather, Harry looked like an exact copy of him.

"James, what are you doing?" a more feminine voice said, and a thin woman with pale skin, flaming hair, and emerald green eyes came to stand next to them.

"Lily Potter. Nice to meet you. Fred, isn't it?" the woman said, holding out a delicate looking hand for him to shake, which he did. He noticed how she had the same color eyes Harry had, though hers were sparkling, while Harry's were clouded.

That made him think of something... James had black hair, hazel eyes... Lily had red hair, green eyes... Ginny had red hair, hazel eyes... Harry had black hair, green eyes... no, it was just a coincidence. Just a coincidence. Maybe.

Meanwhile, a certain former Malfoy henchman stood there, forgotten.

**And there you have it. I'm done this chapter. Yay. Please review! And there's still more time to vote on my poll! So far, in the lead is 'Constantly try to outdo each other.' If you want something else to happen, vote! And now I have to try and get my brain unclogged for a certain crack-fic...**


	9. Snape, Remus, Tonks, & Colin

**Hey guys, sorry for the wait! I'm still in school, and I got EPIC sunburn this week. So to make up for the delay, here's a special chapter: Snape, Colin Creevey, Remus, and Tonks, all in one~ Flames will be used to roast my Panda-chan that's uber-lazy and won't update (I'm such a hypocrite...). Go thank MyMusesSpeakToMe for reminding me that I need to update! I own nothing~**

**(And Nolesr1, I don't think you're being too preachy at all. I was raised in a religious family, and I would love to write something like that, but I'm afraid that I'll mess up or offend somebody. Maybe when I have more experience in writing, but for now, I'm still a newbie. And you're right: Justin Bieber isn't very good :P)**

He knew he should have killed the snake. He definitely should have killed the snake while he still had the chance, but Dumbledore had insisted that he stay unnoticed so that the Dark Lord would truly believe that he was on his side. Of course, in the end, the Dark Lord and his lack of logic decided to set a giant man-eating snake on him. Severus Snape was not happy.

Now, at any other time, he would be happy that he had finally gotten out of the Dark Lord's control and his confusing spy work, but He was officially a good guy after giving the Potter boy his memories, and he didn't think he could face Potter senior after that. That was what he was dreading: meeting Potter senior and his idiotic friend Sirius Black.

Now don't go thinking he's a depressing man with no positive thoughts, because even though he is, he felt excitement and nervousness building up until he felt he was about to be sick. He would see her again. For the first time in at least sixteen years, he would be able to see his first ever friend again, and the girl who had defended him from when they met until the heartbreaking ending of their friendship in their fifth year at Hogwarts.

And then he was there.

Sunny. Disgustingly sunny. And warm. Squinting, he wondered about what was coming. Who else was here besides him? Lily, Potter senior, Dumbledore... who else had died in the fight against the Dark Lord? How many people had suffered by the hands of Slytherin's heir and his followers?

Gentle footsteps, muffled by the clouds. He stood frozen in place.

"...Severus?"

It was her voice. He was positive that it was her voice. It hadn't changed at all after all these years. It still sounded sweet like honey, but strong and independent, just like her.

"Severus, is it really you? Please, turn around! Look at me!"

Taking a shaky breath, he turned towards the voice that had haunted his dreams so many times before. Lily Evans-Potter was just as beautiful as she always was. He could tell that the Afterlife had been good for her; she no longer had the bloodshot eyes or constantly exhausted appearance she had had in life.

Before he got the chance to say anything at all, the teary-eyed witch in front of him flung herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry! I hurt you so much back then, and these sixteen years, I've been watching all you've done for Harry! You helped him with his jinxed broom... and... and... oh, Severus, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please, I don't know if there's any way I can make it up to you!"

But Severus Snape just smiled, knowing that this was the moment he had been waiting for all this time. Lily was his friend again; their friendship molded back together, like a puzzle forming to create a picture formerly taken apart.

"Hey!"

And then he came along. Of course, Potter senior would come along at a time like this. They were both lucky they were already dead...

"Who do you think you are, holding my wife like that?"

Sure enough, James Potter stormed up to them angrily, with Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Albus Dumbledore trailing not too far behind.

"He told Voldemort about the prophecy! He's a Death Eater! He killed Dumbledore! Why are you hugging him, Lily? He called you... that word! You said you'd never forgive him for that!"

Lily, tears cascading down her face by this point, tried to speak, but Dumbledore held up his hand.

"If I may suggest something, could we wait a few moments for two certain people to arrive? I have quite a few things to explain, and it would be desirable for them to be present, as it is something that they have been wondering about for quite some time, just like the rest of you," he said calmly.

James faltered. "Ah... of course, Professor..."

_He almost felt as if he would choke with fear._ What if he didn't make it back? Dora and Teddy, they would be all alone... he would never be able to see his only child grow up... but he didn't have time to think of these things. He _would _make it out of this alive. He had to! He had a wife and a son... Dora had already lost her father, who knows what would happen if he were to go as well?

But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that they would be alright, he couldn't avoid that terrifying green light shoot like a bullet towards him and smack him right at the heart. As he felt his world go dark forever, he saw a flash of pink fall to the ground...

He smelled a sickeningly familiar scent as he lay face-down on the fluffy ground.

_Fluffy? Hogwarts wasn't fluffy!_

And suddenly, he felt two large objects, most likely people, catapult themselves on top of him, and he knew that somehow, somewhere, this had happened before. When, where, why, how? And most importantly, _who?_

He groaned as he raised his head, and he almost passed out at the sight in front of him. Albus Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory, and Lily Potter stood clearly in front of him, as if testing his mind, his sanity... and Snape. Snape and Wormtail, both there as well.

The two figures on top of him, though, made the greatest impact. He knew he had smelled those scents, experienced this weight on top of him... there were only two people in the whole world who would tackle him to the ground like that, and those two people were James Potter and Sirius Black.

Peter, stepping tentatively towards the jumbled mass of people, could feel his palms become sweaty. He had hoped that the last Marauder would live longer, so that he would not have to deal with another confrontation relating to his association with the Dark Lord and involvement in the Potters' deaths.

Yet no matter how much Peter wished it weren't so, Remus Lupin managed to free himself from the grasp of his two friends and stand up. Seeing who he was with, he smiled sadly.

"I should have been more careful," he said, his voice cracking, as if he were trying to keep himself from breaking down completely. "If I hadn't been so reckless... I wanted to get rid of as many as I could, so that Teddy... Teddy..."

Severus, being the only one alive long enough to know about Teddy, winced. If he hadn't told the Dark Lord about the prophecy... but he stopped himself. If he hadn't told the Dark Lord about the prophecy, Potter junior never would have been marked, and the war would be endless, forever taking lives, destroying homes, and crushing families with suffering and betrayal.

Sirius and James, on the other hand, looked utterly confused, but before either could speak, there was a painful sounding thump as a pink-haired witch landed next to Remus' feet.

"Dora!" he exclaimed, helping the dizzy woman stand up. "How... you... I _told _you to stay with Teddy at your mother's! _Why, _Dora? _Why did you leave?_"

The woman called Dora shakily wiped tears threatening to fall from her watery eyes.

"I... I'm sorry, Remus... I was just so _worried_, and I couldn't stand not knowing! I... I had to know if you were alright... I just couldn't stay around and _wait! _I couldn't bear the thought of something happening, and I wouldn't even know... but when I got there, you had already left to go fight... I just wanted to find you, but when I did... when I did... you were already gone, and I..." her voice trailed off, and instead she just stood there, taking sob-like breaths and still fighting the tears.

Suddenly, realization dawned on Sirius' face. "You're Dora! As in Nymphadora Tonks, my cousin! Well, second cousin, really... but still! When did you get so close to Remus?"

Remus smiled nervously, but Tonks beamed, despite her aching heart.

"We're married, Sirius, and have a son named Ted," she informed them.

You could hear dead crickets chirping.

And then there was an instant outburst, with the loudest exclamations coming from a man that had not been there before. Said man had a rather large waistline and was grinning at the woman in front of him.

"Dora...!" he croaked, looking at her with pride and admiration.

Tonks blinked, before breaking out into a run and flinging herself into the man's waiting arms.

"Dad... Daddy...!"

"Dora... in these past few months... you've grown so much in these past few months! A son... Merlin, I'm a grandfather... Oh, Dora..."

"They look happy, don't they?"

Sirius jumped and whirled around. Behind him was a young boy, about sixteen, with an old-fashioned looking Muggle camera in his hands. Harry had told him about this boy; he was Colin Creevey, former sixth year Gryffindor. Remus noticed this boy as well, and blinked in astonishment.

"Colin? Wha... why are you here? You're underage! You were supposed to go home with your classmates! Why... why in the name of Merlin did you stay?" he stammered faintly.

Colin smiled weakly. "I wanted to be like Harry, I guess... I wanted to be recognized for something _good_, because most people know me as 'that annoying kid with the Muggle camera'... I really thought I could do it, Professor Lupin! I never thought... never even imagined..."

Lily finally decided she couldn't take seeing any more sadness, walked over to the boy, and pulled him into a tight hug. Colin was obviously surprised, but this little act encouraged him to show how he truly felt about his death.

"I... I'm scared! I'm scared about what will happen to my brother, Dennis... he's a year younger than me, and I don't know if he stayed behind or went to safety! I... I told him to go! To find go with the other underage students, but he's like me! He never listens! And now... when Mum finds out, she'll never let him go back to Hogwarts! I... I failed him, I failed my little brother!"

Lily patted the boy's back encouragingly, but soon Dumbledore coughed politely to gain everybody's attention.

"Excuse my interruption, but I believe I was going to explain about Severus' part in this war we've been fighting?"

There was instant silence, a quiet so tense it was like someone was squeezing and tugging at their non-beating hearts. What had Severus Snape done to help them? What on Earth could a _Death Eater _do to help the Order of the Phoenix, led by Dumbledore himself, who had been fighting Voldemort even before he went by that name?

"Please explain, sir. I want to know that it's okay for us to trust him," Lily begged. "I... I've apologized for ending our friendship over such a small thing-" there were several splutters from those who knew what ended the relationship, "-but I want to know that it's okay to _really _be friends with him again, sir."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "Very well, then. You see, When Severus Snape first heard the prophecy, he had no idea that it would have anything to do with the Potter family. When Lord Voldemort came to this conclusion, Severus came to be, begging for me to protect you."

James gasped. "You mean... that day, when you came over, suggesting different ways to keep hidden... you said that someone had said that it could mean us! And... it was _him?"_

Dumbledore nodded once more and continued. "When Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters-" Peter shifted uncomfortably under the many looks he was getting, "-I asked Severus to help me protect their son. He has been watching over Harry in school ever since he first stepped through the front door all those years ago."

"Let's skip ahead to Harry's sixth year. That was when I found a ring, containing a stone long believed to be one of legend. It was the Resurrection Stone, of the Deathly Hallows. Yes, they are most definitely real, and, overcome with my desire to see those long deceased, I immediately slid the ring onto my finger."

"This turned out to be a fatal mistake. The ring was a Horcrux, and having put it on, the soul fragment inside slowly began to suck away my life."

Lily gasped. "What? Sir, what in the name of Merlin are you talking about?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Oh, yes, of course... even a witch as bright as you, Lily, wouldn't know of something as Dark as the Horcrux. Allow me to explain: A wizard can split his soul in two by committing an act of great evil; murder, for example. The man who calls himself Lord Voldemort believed that he could become immortal if he split his soul enough times and placed the fragments in objects with significant meaning. He believed that if he spit into seven different parts, seven being the lucky number, he would live forever,"

"But sir," Cedric interrupted. "What does any of this have to do with Professor Snape?"

"I'm getting there, Mr. Diggory, just be patient," Dumbledore reassured him. "As I was saying, the ring was a Horcrux. I knew my time was coming anyway; the ring was just speeding up the process. So, I asked Severus to kill me."

There was total silence at this statement. Never had they expected a wizard as great and powerful as Albus Dumbledore to request to be killed. He always seemed to do the impossible; they had always expected him to have a solution to every problem. He had always been the man to go to, but they failed to realize that he was just that: a man.

"A Slytherin boy in Harry's year had been assigned the task of murdering me by Lord Voldemort as payment for his father's defeat at the Department of Mysteries the previous year. I'm sure you remember what they were there for, Sirius?"

Sirius nodded grimly. "The prophecy. Voldemort wanted to hear the entire prophecy."

"Exactly. But we're talking about Severus here, not Voldemort's plans. Severus was to kill me to protect the boy; if he were to succeed in killing me at such a young age, his sense of right and wrong would be permanently destroyed."

"Now let's skip ahead again, to this year, when Severus was headmaster of Hogwarts. I had been giving him directions from my portrait behind his desk. He was the one who put the Sword of Gryffindor under the ice for Harry to find, with the doe Patronus leading the way."

Lily blinked. "A... doe? Severus, your Patronus... is a doe?"

Snape nodded silently.

"...and... and you've done... so much for Harry! Even more than I already thought!"

Once again, Lily, pulled Snape into a bone-crushing hug, which James was stubbornly against.

"Hey, watch where you're touching my wife."

"She was my best friend before she was your wife."

"She was my wife for more years than she was your friend."

**That took so long to write... this chapter is three times longer than some of the others, and the second longest thing I've ever written (the longest being the final chapter of 'She's Not Supposed to be Here!'). And to anyone who guessed: 'Constantly try to outdo each other' won for the poll, but since 'Get along reluctantly' only lost by one vote, I'll try to fit that in too. Only two more deaths left :D**


	10. Bellatrix & Voldemort

**And here we are, the final chapter of 'Welcome to the Afterlife!' I'll save all the crappy thank yous for the end. So please, enjoy! I don't own anything!**

_To die serving her master... that was the death she had always desired. He was a god in her eyes, and he deserved no less that total reverence. She had worked so hard to become a part of his inner circle of Death Eaters. She was more than a mere follower, more than those interfering pests that joined to save themselves from death by his hands..._

_She smirked in spite of herself. She knew that the inferior Weasley woman couldn't kill her. There was absolutely no way that her master would let it happen. He would kill her, if she didn't first. And yet the traitorous red-haired woman fired that final curse to end it all, she still had total faith in the man... no, men weren't immortal, and mankind should have been honored to find that such a great lord used to be one of their own filthy kind... But still she knew, knew that her master would not let her die in vain.  
_

She wished it weren't so sunny. She wished it were dark, as if beautiful, haunting shadows were casting their wonderful blackness over her... she wished she could once again see the crimson of her master's snakelike eyes... But no, instead she found herself looking into the sparkling eyes of a man she had once considered a brother, but now she thought him to be no more than trash found on the side of the road.

"...Sirius," she spat, trying to keep a calm appearance. Yet even she could not have predicted the obvious sorrow that echoed long after the word had been spoken.

"Bellatrix."

_Bellatrix. _She wasn't Bella anymore, just Bellatrix. What ever happened to the sibling-like relationship they once shared? Why had it all gone wrong? Was it because she became a Death Eater, then Sirius started to be ashamed to be a part of the Black family?

_No._ If anyone had the right to be ashamed, it was her. Associating himself with blood traitors and Mudbloods, she had every right to reject her cousin. But then, she noticed, it wasn't just Sirius there. _Her _daughter was there as well, the daughter of her sister that had betrayed her just like Sirius had.

"Aunt Bella- I mean, Bellatrix?"

She cursed silently. What did she do to deserve meeting these people as soon as she got to the Afterlife? Why couldn't she have been sent somewhere else? There had to be a reason she ended up in the same place these people did... maybe she was expected to show her family the true benefits of being a part of the Dark Lord's army! Yes, that would have to be it...

"I highly doubt so, Ms. Lestrange."

Albus Dumbledore. Dang. She felt incredibly out of place here, as she noticed the others around her. Lily and James Potter, a Hogwarts student, and...

"_You!_" she hissed menacingly at the cowering form of Peter Pettigrew. "How _dare _you show your face in front of me? After you betray our Lord and let the Potter boy escape! I should just slit your throat right here!"

Dumbledore coughed. "I don't believe that would have any effect, Ms. Lestrange, for all of us here are already dead. Do you see what position you are in? Your whole life, you have relied on power to intimidate people into doing your will. But you see, here, you can't do any harm to us, because we are dead. There is nothing that could harm us. You are powerless here, so I advise you not to make us your enemies here as you did during life."

As much as she hated to admit it, the Muggle-loving old fool was right. _'I advise you not to make us your enemies here as you did during life...' _That was what he had said. So... here, did she have a second chance? Yet she couldn't use it. She had to remain faithful to her Lord, otherwise there would be horrible consequences...

Until she remembered. _She could not be harmed here_. So... if she wanted to, she could leave the Dark Lord's side and join the Order of the Phoenix...

"You could, Ms. Lestrange, if you wanted to."

_He was righteous. He had power. He was doing what would make the world better, or, as that over-trusting former Headmaster would have said, 'the greater good.' He could rid the world of Muggles, Mudbloods and half-bloods... It would be a pureblood utopia, and he would be the ruler, stamping out any rebellion. He was the most powerful wizard in the world. He was invincible._

_And yet as that Potter boy spat out nonsense, as he was waiting for the perfect moment to end the boy's life, he wondered if he was wrong. He wondered if Draco Malfoy really was the master of the Elder Wand, not Snape... He wondered if maybe the boy's nonsense was really logic that he, the greatest Dark Wizard of all time, had been to stubborn and proud to see._

_Pride. It was that pride that had him keep going, to keep fighting. Of course, there was no way that the boy was right... he had thought over this plan tens, no, hundreds of times. There were no flaws, no loopholes, no gaps of any sort. Unless..._

_There was no way the boy could have possibly succeeded in destroying every Horcrux. He knew there were some lost... but four or five at most. The diadem, he knew, was safe, for nobody other than himself ever knew of the Room of Hidden Things._

And yet he knew he was lying to himself. He knew he couldn't win, because the prophecy had predicted that the boy would have the power to defeat him. _Love_. A pathetic emotion. He had never felt it in his life. _Respect_, yes, but not something as petty as love. It was a useless feeling. It never got anyone anywhere good in the world. Take his mother, for example; she loved someone, and she ended up dead because of it. Of course, if she had not been foolish enough to love, he would not be here to rid the world of it. Good, evil, right, wrong... power. That was all that mattered. If you had power on your side, you could easily triumph over those who only had love. That's what he thought.

Then why was he losing? In sixteen years of planning, sneaking, attacking, firing curses, jinxes and spells, he had failed to bring any fatal harm to one boy. Dumbledore had said countless times that it was because of the boy's mother's _love _that he survived. Lies. There was no way that love could save a life. No way that love could protect the boy from death for sixteen years.

"_Avada Kadavra!"_

And then he was over.

Laughing. That's what he heard. Laughing. He knew this laughter, though, and it was laughter he was, if possible, delighted to hear again.

"You think I would betray the Dark Lord and join your side? How foolish!" Bellatrix cried out gleefully. She had a mad grin on her face and was sneering infuriatingly at the others surrounding her. Yep. That was his Bella.

He smiled and walked over to her.

"Bella... turning down an offer to join the weak? Did they offer to protect you, like they did so many others? I'm impressed, Bella... very impressed. Perhaps I shall reward you by destroying these fools who dare to disturb us..."

And before anyone could say anything, Voldemort whipped his wand out of his pocket and aimed it at the closest target: Lily Potter.

But as he tried to shout out a spell, he felt a curious sensation running through his blood. He couldn't move his mouth... he tried to cast a nonverbal spell, but his thoughts were jumbled and he couldn't think straight... he tried to lower his wand arm, to Apparate away... but he couldn't move. He had no control whatsoever... he wasn't used to that. He didn't like it.

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "I already explained to Ms. Lestrange that you can do no harm to others here. She, at least, had enough sense not to try. Though it appears that your pride and hunger for power drove all logical thoughts from your mind. You have been paralyzed. Permanently."

And as he felt himself become more and more immobile, he knew that in both the World of the Living and the Afterlife, witches and wizards alike were celebrating the downfall of Tom Riddle.

**The end! Yay! Thank you all for reading and reviewing all of these crappy chapters, slow updates, and my horrible writing! (Though I must admit, this is pretty good compared to SNSTBH... the first two chapters of that still make my eyes bleed.) Anyway... now this author must go into hibernation, for she got little to no break between her two multi-chapter stories. And for one last time, please review!**


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